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Starc to press Test claim in Shield match

Mitchell Starc will press his Test claims in the Shield match against Victoria. Photo: Getty Images

Close to first Test selection, Mitchell Starc gets the chance to press his second Test claims after rejoining NSW for its Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria at the SCG starting on Tuesday.

The young left-armer served as Australia's 12th man for the first two days of the Gabba Test clash with South Africa when omitted in favour of fellow pacemen Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Ben Hilfenhaus.

But he has returned to Sydney and a strong showing in the Shield game could vault him into the team for the second Test if the Australian pace attack continues to struggle as it did in the first innings in Brisbane, lacking penetration.

Starc, who last played in the Test side against India in January, has dominated recently in one-day cricket and in the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka last September but since his return from the Sydney Sixers' Champions League triumph he only had time to play one Sheffield Shield match before the first Test.

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Former Tasmanian batsman David Dawson will make his home Shield debut for NSW.

Dawson, who played 23 first class matches for Tasmania, played his only first class match for the Blues against Victoria at the MCG in the final Shield match last summer.

In changes to the side who lost to Queensland last week, Test stars Shane Watson, David Warner and Michael Clarke are replaced by Moises Henriques, Steven Smith and Brad Haddin.